8 of the Best Orange County Trauma & PTSD Therapists
Finding the right therapist can feel overwhelming, especially when you're carrying the weight of the past.
I specialize in helping adults work through complex trauma, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety, intense emotional reactions, and physical symptoms, which often result from painful experiences. As a master certified Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) practitioner, I help clients shift from survival mode to healing and living the life they truly want. Many of the people I work with are in high stress positions, like first responders, therapists, or other professionals who have spent years putting others first while sacrificing their own emotional needs. My approach combines compassion with evidence-based strategies aimed at processing the past while equipping you with practical skills so you can reclaim your life. If you're looking for a therapist and you're ready to begin a healing journey, I’d love to connect. Reach out to learn more about trauma therapy Orange County and PTSD treatment Orange County CA.
Other highly recommended PTSD & trauma therapists serving Orange County
I’ve compiled this list of trusted therapists who provide PTSD intervention and trauma-focused therapy in the case that my practice isn’t the right fit for you. These therapists offer a unique background, specialty, or therapeutic style. If one of these mental health professionals aligns with your needs, I encourage you to reach out and see if you’re a good match.
1. Heather Seguin, LMFT
Heather is a licensed marriage and family therapist who specializes in addressing betrayal, sexual addiction, infidelity recovery, and relationship challenges. She is warm, direct, and down to earth. Heather utilizes methods including Gottman Method, Relational Life Therapy (RLT), attachment theory, and polyvagal neuroscience in her practice. I recommend Heather for individuals or couples working through relational wounds or rebuilding trust after infidelity.
2. Cynthia Nyberg, LCSW
Cynthia is a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in women’s mental health, including perinatal and postpartum mood disorders, PTSD, other mental health disorders, grief, and relationship issues. Cynthia brings warmth, authenticity, and practical tools in her practice, integrating CBT, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindfulness, and EMDR to help clients experience empowerment and balance. I recommend her for women navigating transitions or relational challenges.
3. Reesa Morala, LMFT
Reesa is a licensed marriage and family therapist with specialties including couples counseling and parenting support. Reesa offers a compassionate, direct approach that empowers clients to break generational patterns and build healthier relationships. She integrates evidence-based modalities such as Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), the Gottman Method, and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). I recommend Reesa to couples who looking for a therapist who brings insight and structure to help shift longstanding relational dynamics.
4. Lee Amaris Padden, LMFT
Lee is a licensed marriage and family therapist with a strong background in couples and family trauma informed care, grounded in mindfulness, neuroscience, and expressive arts. She has extensive experience working with abuse survivors, first responders, and addressing PTSD. She creates an inclusive, compassionate environment. I recommend Lee to individuals, couples, or families who may benefit from creative, body-based, or nontraditional methods of expression and insight.
5. Leena Yakob, LMFT
Leena is a licensed marriage and family therapist who offers a warm, compassionate, and culturally attuned approach to therapy. Fluent in Chaldean and Arabic, she specializes in supporting individuals, couples, and families navigating trauma and relationship challenges. Leena is trained in EMDR and brings deep empathy to her work, particularly when helping family members impacted by a loved one’s substance or alcohol use. I recommend her to clients seeking a therapist who integrates cultural understanding with trauma-informed care.
6. Diana Koenen, LMFT
Diana is a licensed marriage and family therapist and certified EMDR provider. She specializes in treating trauma and anxiety disorders and understands the complexity of trauma work and collaborates with clients to uncover and address the roots of their struggles. Diana brings deep insight her work and integrates EMDR therapy with Internal Family Systems (IFS) to support healing and meaningful change. I recommend Diana to anyone seeking healing through EMDR and IFS, as her combined approach helps clients understand and heal the different parts of themselves for deep, lasting recovery.
7. Rebecca Williams, LMFT
Rebecca is a licensed marriage and family therapist who specializes in couples counseling. Rebecca brings a calm and caring presence to complex relational work and is highly skilled at supporting couples and individuals through emotionally challenging transitions. Rebecca utilizes Brainspotting, EFT, and Gottman Method in her practice, providing trauma-informed, LGBTQ+ affirming relationship support to facilitate deep emotional connection. I recommend Rebecca to couples or individuals seeking intervention that honors the complexity of past experiences while fostering meaningful connection today.
8. Michele Peterson, LCSW
Michele is a licensed clinical social worker with over 30 years of experience treating mental disorders, like anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. She’s known for creating a calm and accepting space for healing. Michele utilizes eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), an evidence-based PTSD treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and cognitive processing therapy (CPT) in her work with individuals. I recommend Michele for individuals looking for an experienced therapist who blends clinical expertise with balanced, compassionate mental health support.
FAQs about trauma & PTSD treatment
-
If you’re struggling with PTSD symptoms, like sleep disturbances, intrusive memories, hypervigilance, depression, or having intense physical and emotional reactions that seem out of proportion to the situation at hand, clinical treatment might be a helpful next step. You may also experience difficulty trusting others, avoidance of certain situations, or feel stuck in patterns that don't serve you. Oftentimes, when people have experienced a traumatic event without resolution, they also experience symptoms of depression and anxiety, overwhelming negative emotions and difficulty accessing positive emotions, or emotional numbness. When PTSD is left untreated, people may turn to alcohol or substance use, or develop other issues, like eating disorders, to manage their symptoms or emotional pain. If you're unsure whether your experiences qualify as past trauma, speaking with a trauma therapist may help bring clarity and understanding to your experience. Seeking support shows courage and people recover from traumatic events. You deserve to find relief and feel like yourself again.
-
Clinical treatment can help you make sense of your past, manage symptoms, learn effective coping strategies, and help you improve your ability to regulate emotions increase connection to others, and uncover your true self. If you struggle with traumatic event difficulty or other mental health condition, clinical care can help. With consistent support, many clients increase coping skills and experience a reduction in negative thoughts and extreme reactions. Treating PTSD involves reprocessing distressing memories and changing the way they are stored in your brain so you can shift from surviving to truly living. Learn more about treatment from PTSD Treatment Basics - PTSD: National Center for PTSD.
-
Treatment with me involves a holistic mind and body approach because when you experience trauma it is stored and experienced in both. My approach to treatment is grounded in evidence-based practices like ART, somatic exercises, CBT, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and ACT. This method supports clients in reducing symptoms, while developing coping tools, making it easier to apply the skills in everyday life. At our appointments, we will work to process thoughts, beliefs, and feelings related to painful memories. We will also incorporate ART sessions help to reprocess traumatic events and regulate and calm the nervous system, to help with symptoms like hypervigilance, dissociation, muscle tension, and digestive issues. I tailor treatment, through development of a personalized treatment plan, to meet your unique needs, while going at a pace that feels safe for you.
-
I specialize in working with adult individuals and couples, who are tired of feeling stuck and are ready to explore and shift patterns that are holding them back from the life that they want. I have a particular passion for supporting military families, first responders, professionals in high stress positions, and overwhelmed parents. My therapeutic style is empathetic and collaborative, centered on cultivating a safe and supportive space for clients to explore and process their experiences. I offer a warm presence while also being direct and gently challenging when needed to support growth. I believe in collaboration with my clients, honoring their autonomy and insight, and helping them move toward meaningful change at their pace. If we determine that you would benefit from additional resources, like group therapy, medication management, or you are interested in alternative treatment options that I do not specialize in, like prolonged exposure therapy, I will provide referrals. Additionally, if you are facing struggles outside of my scope of practice, like substance use disorders, I will provide referrals for care alternatives. If you're looking for a therapist who offers a balance of structured guidance and flexible, practical strategies, I would love to connect. Reach out to schedule a free 15-minute consultation.
-
We will begin by building a foundation of trust and understanding what you hope to achieve. We’ll explore what’s been getting in your way and explore tools to manage emotional distress effectively. A typical session might include talking through current challenges, learning practical skills, or using ART to address traumatic experiences or PTSD and reduce the emotional weight of painful memories. People who work with me often notice they become less reactive to triggers, more emotionally regulated, more engaged in the present, and begin to see their path forward with more clarity and confidence.
-
To get started, just reach out via my contact form on my website or contact me directly by phone or email to schedule a free consultation. The initial consultation will help us determine if we’re a good fit and where we will book your first session. I’ll explain the intake process and answer any questions you may have. Whether in-person in Temecula or online throughout California, I’m here to support you on your healing journey. You don’t have to navigate this alone.
